CASEY COCHRAN INTERVIEW: PROGRESSING FORWARD EACH WEEKEND

Now just turning eighteen years old, Portsmouth, VA’s Casey Cochran lies fifteenth in the 2024 250 AMA motocross championship points. While Cochran may not be at the top of your podium list, he is in only his first season as a full-time pro motocross racer. Previously signed with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, Casey helped solidify his position with the team when he took the 2023 Supercross futures title in 2023. While HighPoint wasn’t great for Casey with a Moto One crash and dnf, he did score a career-high with an eleventh in Moto Two. But it may have been at Hangtown where he has done his best work, with the fastest lap in qualifying, and a tenth overall – at a track he had never ridden before! Do I expect big things from Casey Cochran; you bet! We spoke with Casey leading up to Southwick.

 

BY JIM KIMBALL

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LET’S BEGIN WITH THIS, YOU HAD THE FASTEST LAP TIMES AT HANGTOWN, TALK ABOUT THAT. I had never been there before and that was my first time ever being in the Sacramento area.  I had never been to that track so to get one practice under my belt, so to come out and be the fastest guy the entire day was a cool accomplishment. I surprised a few people and myself, so it was exciting. Hopefully, I can build, continue to be up there on qualifying, and be able to carry that into the motos.

In his first full motocross season, Casey currently sits fifteenth in points.

SPEAKING OF THE MOTOS THAT DAY, YOU WERE HOVERING AROUND THE TOP TEN. Yes, right around the top ten.  I went 12/12 for twelfth overall, so it was an okay day.  I know I am capable of a lot more and everyone knows that including the whole team.  I am just looking to be able to get out there and get some good races under me.

A TOP TEN IS VERY CREDIBLE FOR SOMEBODY AS MUCH OF A ROOKIE AS YOU ARE. THERE IS SUCH A WIDE DIVERSITY OF TALENT IN THAT CLASS. It is crazy when you look at the entry list, there are probably like eighteen factory guys. People don’t realize how gnarly it is.  It is a grind out there, so to get some top ten’s is good. Probably we can get more than one and continue building, but that top-ten finish was something to check off the bucket list, and let’s hopefully keep going.

Building each weekend Casey was able to grab the fastest qualifier at Hangtown.

GOING BACK TO HANGTOWN, YOU REALLY PROBABLY HAVE NOT RIDDEN ANY OF THESE TRACKS, MAYBE RED BUD. The only track I have been to was Red Bud when I raced the Moto Combine last year, and then I did the two last outdoors last year. I did Budd’s Creek and Iron Man, so those were the only tracks I had been to.  I have never been to High Point before, so basically it was my first time going around at all these places for me. 

I WOULD ASSUME TRACKS HANGTOWN AND PALA ARE WAY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU GREW UP RIDING. MAYBE NOW THAT WE ARE EAST, IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE CLOSER TO WHAT YOU STARTED ON. Yes, I feel like the first three rounds with Pala, Hangtown, and Thunder Valley are probably my weakest tracks. Now that we are going to tracks in the east, with me growing up in the south I should feel more comfortable. with the softer, ruttier, deeper tracks, I feel like we are going to build even more, and just keep the confidence going as we move east. 

A crash at High Point kept him from a top-ten result.

AS WE MOVE INTO MORE HUMID WEATHER, I WOULD ASSUME THAT ONLY SUITS YOU. Yes, for sure.  We are training in Florida and recently, the humidity has not been under 90%.  It has been a hot box down there.  As we move east and the heat starts to come in and the humidity, I feel like we will also shine in those conditions.

HOW HAS IT BEEN TRAINING WITH THE BAKER FACTORY GUYS AND THE ADVICE THEY CAN GIVE you? It is super cool.  I get to train with the other guys that I am under the tent with each weekend. I’m getting more comfortable, and I see these guys every single day, so we show up at the race and it is just like another day back at training. There are a couple of older guys with Malcolm (Stewart) and R.J. (Hampshire) so a lot of knowledge to be able to pass down and help me out each weekend. It sucks that we don’t have R.J. here yet, but he will be back.  Whenever everyone is back, we are going to have a lot of knowledge. It is super cool being able to train with those guys and have someone to push, especially with R.J.  Here you have a guy, and he just won the championship, so you know what it takes.  You know the speed you need to go, what you need to be there and so it is cool to have that gauge.

Looking to build this year Casey has already put up some great results.

YOU JUST MENTIONED R.J.  YOU ARE REALLY THE ONLY GUY IN THE 250 CLASS FOR ROCKSTAR HUSQVARNA.  IS THAT GOOD BECAUSE YOU GET MORE FOCUS OR IS IT BAD BECAUSE YOU GET MORE FOCUS? It is a double-edged sword when you are the only 250 guys, so maybe a little more pressure.  They are only looking at you in the 250 class but you also get more attention, so yeah, it is a double-edged sword.  It can go both ways, but I feel like they do a good job with all the attention we need no matter what and no matter how many riders are under the tent.  I don’t think there is a huge difference there, but I will be happy to have Guillem (Farres) and R.J. back just for more info and more guys under there to keep the vibes up.

ENDING WITH THIS, ARE YOU THE KIND OF PERSON WHERE YOU HAVE SET SPECIFIC GOALS FOR WHERE YOU WANT TO FINISH? I think my biggest goal right now is just to keep continuing and progressing forward each weekend, and not have the weekends where we take two steps forward and one step back.  I just want to keep stepping forward each weekend, and then I just want to get in the SMX top 20 points by the end of the outdoors. That will be good so I will be able to do the SMX rounds. That is basically my goal right now, maybe consistent top ten and end up somewhere around there.